


Dusk

by seerunbe



Category: Chronicles of Ancient Darkness - Michelle Paver
Genre: CoAD, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Sex, being one, but it's not graphic, grow the fandom like the first tree, it's about love, soul mates, takes place right before Viper's Daughter, they are in love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-24
Updated: 2020-09-24
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:08:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26623423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seerunbe/pseuds/seerunbe
Summary: Torak and Renn have been together for almost two summers. This takes place right before Viper's Daughter (seventh book in the series).
Relationships: Renn/Torak (Chronicles of Ancient Darkness)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 6





	Dusk

**Author's Note:**

> I'm just trying to write what Michelle Paver couldn't in the series 🙏
> 
> There are some minor spoiler for the first six books of the CoAD series.

“What took you so long?” chided Renn, her form barely visible in flickering light of the nearby fire.

Torak crawled into the sleeping sack next to her. “Just wanted to check the snares one last time before ending the day,” he said.

“Worried the ravens are going to outsmart you again and steal the catch?”

“Hey,” he said, rolling to his side and curling his body around hers, “that was one time, and only because I was tired.”

“So you admit that ravens can outsmart a man like yourself?”

“Only when I’m tired, apparently.”

Torak used his hand to move Renn’s hair from the nape of her neck, revealing the smooth white skin beneath. “But I’m not tired now," he breathed, bringing his lips to brush the exposed skin.

He felt Renn shiver beneath his touch. “I still think a Raven can outsmart you anytime,” she said.

Torak hummed in response, kissing down the back of her neck. He wrapped his arm around her middle and pulled her closer. His hand found the hem of her jerkin on her hip. He slid his fingers first then his whole hand beneath till his palm rested on her smooth, cool stomach.

“You’re beautiful, did you know that?” he whispered, moving his attention from the back of her neck to her ear. She didn’t respond, but Torak could see her small smile in the flickering light, her muscles tensing beneath his hand on her stomach.

“How could I not know, you tell me almost every day,” she murmured, a note of exasperation in her voice. But Torak knew better than to believe her annoyance. He knew, from the almost two summers they had been together, she loved the way he spoke to her, especially after dusk. He knew that nibbling her ear would make her squirm and complain, but that secretly she loved it. He knew she loved the way he brushed her hair from her face and kissed the freckle near her mouth, the freckle Torak had teased her about since she got it so many summers ago.

And Renn, Renn knew the way Torak loved to tease her, to compliment her. She knew he loved the way she acted resistant in the beginning, forcing him to give chase, to pursue her until she gave in to their desires. She knew the way he loved to run his fingers through her hair, to run his hand across her stomach, back and chest.

She laughed at the memory of their first times together, their first times exploring one another’s body. 

“What’s so funny?” Torak said, his fingers running light across her ribcage.

She rolled on to her other side to face Torak. “Remember our first spring together? After we had left the Ravens?”

Torak’s brows furrowed, his hand now under Renn’s jerkin on her back. “Yes, why?”

“Remember how awkward it was, the first time we mated?”

Torak’s face broke into a wolfish grin as a small laugh escaped him. “Awkward? I thought it was very romantic.”

“If hitting our noses together fifty times is your idea of romantic…”

Torak laughed again before leaning in to kiss her forehead.

“Are you saying I didn’t know what I was doing?” he said, knowing better to blame himself instead of them both.

“Yes,” Renn said, trying to hide the smile that was fighting to appear on her face.

“Hmm,” said Torak, the bass in his voice almost sounding like a purr. He moved his hand in a circular motion on Renn’s lower back. “I get the feeling I need to make up for that, all these moons later.”

Renn tilted her chin up to look into his eyes. She could feel his cool breath on her face and smell the wolf and forest scent on his clothes, a scent that had become as familiar as her own.

Torak closed the distance between their faces and brushed his lips to hers, his free hand stroking her hair.

Renn moved her arm over the one Torak was using to rub her back and began to run her fingers along his arm and shoulder, searching for the skin that lies beneath his clothing.

Torak kissed her again, his mouth closing around her lower lip. She kissed him back, her teeth lightly grazing the edge of his mouth. She felt his fingers curl in her hair and on her back in pleasure as she did this. 

She moved her hands to the base of Torak’s neck, going beneath his collar as Torak’s hand moved up her back. His fingers found the bindings that Renn wrapped around her chest to stay protected. 

She smiled again at the memory of when Torak first found those bindings on her body, at his bewilderment as he had struggled to take them off. Embarrassed, he had to ask Renn to help him, which she did, after she finished laughing.

Now, however, deft fingers made quick work of the binding.

“How was I supposed to know how to work this thing?” he grumbled, guessing what Renn was thinking. Renn kissed him on his jaw before sitting up.

“It’s just a strip of reindeer hide wrapped around my torso, anyone could have figured it out,” she replied.

Torak sat up with her. “I’d rather no one else gets the chance to try with you,” he said, grabbing the hem of her tunic and helping her pull it over her head.

The pale skin of her bare torso seemed to shine in the glow of the fire, of the moon that had now risen. Torak sucked in his breath as he looked at his mate’s body. Though he had now seen her several times, his stomach still fluttered as it had the first time. Every bump and scar, every freckle and dimple, every plane and curve… Torak felt as if he were falling in love all over again. He leaned in and kissed her bare shoulder as Renn wrapped her arms around his midriff, grabbing the hem of his tunic.

Torak continued to kiss her shoulder, her collarbone, her neck as she lifted the clothing off his stomach and chest, pausing only to allow her to finally pull the jerkin over his head and arms.

Renn curled her arms under his, her hands resting on his shoulder blades. She rested her head in the crook of his neck, closing her eyes as Torak continued to kiss her and run his hands along her back, kneading out the tension in her muscles that came from constant use of her bow.

Torak then gently grabbed her and slowly twisted and lowered their bodies until Renn’s back was on the sleeping sack with Torak above her. 

Torak pressed his forehead to hers, his elbows and forearms placed on the sleeping sack beside her shoulders. Ren ran her hands along his back, chest and shoulders, eliciting a sigh from Torak. She felt the scar over his heart, where he had removed his Soul Eater tattoo. "I still can't believe you did that by yourself," she whispered. 

"I didn't want you to be there to see it happen," he whispered back. "I didn't want you to see me like that. I had to do it alone."

Renn's hands moved to his face, where she cupped his cheeks in her hands, feeling his cheek bones. "You don't have to be alone anymore. We'll face what comes, together."

She moved her mouth to meet his, kissing him. He deepened this kiss, pushing on her lips until her head rested on the sleeping sack again as Renn nibbled his lip. 

He moved his head to graze her ear lobe, loving the way Renn squirmed beneath him, the feeling of her skin on his.

Renn’s hands moved to Torak’s head, her fingers entangling in the long back hair, fingernails gently running along his scalp. 

They moved their bodies again till Torak’s back was on the sleeping sack and Renn above him. Torak’s hands moved from her stomach to her chest, cupping her breasts as Renn hungrily sought out his mouth with her own, her hands still working in his hair.

She moaned as Torak’s calloused hands brushed over the most sensitive parts of her chest, enjoying the feeling. Renn sat up and wrapped her legs around Torka's hips, seated in his lap.Torak followed, their skin never breaking contact. She moved to allow him to continue to kiss and caress her. Her chin rested on the top of his head, her eyes closed, savoring the moment as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

Torak could feel her heart beating between her breasts, her excitement matching his own. He laid his forehead on her sternum, moving his hands from her chest to her back, pulling her close, breathing her scent, drinking in their closeness.

For a moment they sat, holding each other, breathing, feeling.

Then Torak once again turned their bodies, laying Renn on her back. He moved down her body, his fingertips and lips skimming her chest and stomach until he reached her leggings.

Gently he took the waistband and began to shimmy the reindeer hide down, Renn lifting her hips to help him. 

Once her lower half was bare, he kissed her thighs, the only part of Renn that was ticklish. Her laugh, which left she always tried to suppress when he did this, filled the clearing where they camped. Torak loved the sound and kissed her thighs, laughing with her, till she begged him to stop. 

Returning to her face he kissed her mouth again before working to take off his own trousers, Renn too busy wiping tears of mirth from her eyes to help. 

"One of these days I'll stop being so ticklish on my thighs," she said as Torak threw the last of his clothing over shoulder. 

"I pray that day doesn't come soon," he replied, leaning back over Renn. 

Using his knees he benignly moved her legs apart. 

He positioned himself then looked at Renn, her red hair spread around her head like a pillow of fire, her dark eyes meeting his.

"Are you ready?" he asked her, leaning to kiss the freckle beside her mouth. 

Her arms moved around the back of his neck, pulling his head beside hers so she could kiss his ear as she nodded. 

Torak began to move and they became one, as mates could only be. 

Renn moved with him, her hands moving again under his arms to rest on his shoulder blades. 

Their bodies worked, their breathing grew labored. Renn kissed his neck, his jaw, his forehead as they maintained their rhythm. 

Torak shuddered as Renn's fingernails dug into his back, sending waves of pleasure through his body. 

One heart, one breath, one body. Renn was his and he was Renn's. 

Torak felt Renn's body tighten, her muscles contracting. Sweat dripped down his back as he continued pace with her. 

The sensation between them grew, a sensation that was somehow too much and not enough at the same time. The intensity grew till Renn thought she couldn't take it anymore. Her muscles tightened again, toes curling and fingers pressing hard into Torak's back.

Then it was over, as if a dam had broke. Soon after Torak, too, had passed the summit. 

They relaxed, Torak laying his head on Renn's shoulder, both panting and allowing the acute waves of intimacy roll over them and die down. 

Torak removed himself off of Renn and laid down beside her. 

They were both silent, staring at the tree boughs and stars above them. 

Eventually Renn sat up and drew her hair into a horsetail. She kissed Torak's nose before taking her clothes and walking into the woods to clean herself, leaving Torak to get dressed and tidy the area. 

When she returned she found Torak already dressed and curled inside their sleeping sack. 

She crawled in after him, nudging him to scoot over. 

Torak opened an eye and allowed her to get comfortable before wrapping his arms around her. He sighed, happy for the moment they were living in. 

"I love you, Renn of the Ravens."

Renn smiled into his chest before answering. 

"And I love you, Torak of the Forest."


End file.
